Andy Burnham has promised to continue supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia as he looks to welcome Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the UK.

The Ukrainian president is the prime minister’s first international visitor since he officially took office last Monday.

In a statement released ahead of the visit, Burnham said: “Britain stands with Ukraine, shoulder to shoulder, and our support remains unwavering.”

He added: “Russia should be in no doubt of our resolve, and we will not back down until we achieve long-lasting and just peace for Ukraine.”

Burnham and Zelenskyy went to a UK naval base and met with 200 Ukrainian soldiers and sailors.

The troops have been working on Exercise Sea Breeze, a naval security and counter-mine operation over the last three weeks to prepare for future Black Sea missions.

Burnham will also used Zelenskyy’s trip to announce he is sharing the intellectual property of British electronic jammers which can be used to interfere with Russian air defence systems.

The devices – known as Stone Cloak – can be attached to drones to stop them from being targeted.

Ukraine has already been using the jammers, but by sharing the intellectual property, the country will be able to mass-produce produce their own.

It’s part of the innovative moves between the UK and Ukraine under their 100-year partnership.

Burnham’s statement said: “Stone Cloak is the best of homegrown British innovation and proven on the frontline, and it will be vital to protecting our security in both our countries.”

After his meeting with Zelenskyy, the prime minister told reporters: “It was a very warm meeting, I thought I would get on well with him and I did, we got on very well indeed.

“And this is going to be a close partnership. I intend to visit soon. We will build this and we will work through the different issues that President Zelenskyy has, many of which we’ve gone into today.”

The prime minister also told the BBC in his first major interview at the weekend: “My support for Ukraine is unwavering – it is 100%.

“And I will do what, in Ukraine, people think is the right thing that they need.”

Burnham’s official spokesperson also told reporters that Zelenskyy’s visit “illustrates the strength of the relationship between the two nations”.

It comes after the Ukrainian president expressed his concerns over the UK’s changing leadership when Keir Starmer visited Kyiv on his last full day as Labour leader earlier this month.

Zelenskyy said: “Of course I’m afraid of changes, of course we are afraid because we are in the war each day.

“But again the priority is the relation between nations, not just between just people. I’m sure that these relations will not change, or we have to do our best not to lose such very good relations.”

“I hope we will never lose strong relations with the UK during or after the war.”

Starmer replied: “You won’t.”

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